Eduard Tubin - The Early Years (Mihhail Gerts)

Information

Composer: Eduard Tubin

• Suite on Estonian Motifs, ETW 13
• Symphony No. 2, ETW 2
• Prelude No. 1: Con calmo, ETW 30-1
• Prelude No. 2: Moderato, con espressione, ETW 30-2

Estonian National Symphony Orchestra

Mihhail Gerts, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Orchid Classics

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This recording by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Mihhail Gerts explores the formative years of Eduard Tubin, a preeminent twentieth-century symphonic voice whose music blends Nordic folklore with a powerful modern perspective. The album centers on Tubin's breakthrough Symphony No. 2, "Legendary" (1937), a compelling work that shifts from mysterious openings to a driving finale. It also features the world-premiere recording of his first major orchestral piece, the Suite on Estonian Motifs. Completed by Gerts performing two early 1926 piano preludes, this collection thoroughly traces the emergence of Estonia's most vital musical figure.

Estonian conductor Mihhail Gerts has earned critical acclaim for his precision, expressive conducting style, and musical warmth, establishing an international reputation through notable debuts with leading orchestras such as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Over his career he has conducted more than sixty orchestras worldwide, including major ensembles in Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 2021 he founded and became artistic director of the TubIN Festival, dedicated to the music of Estonian symphonic composer Eduard Tubin. Alongside his symphonic work, Gerts has extensive operatic experience, serving as First Kapellmeister at Theater Hagen and resident conductor of the Estonian National Opera.